AERA is committed to capacity building for & nurturing of future education researchers. AERA is home to more than 7,000 student members, including approximately 6,500 graduate students and 500 undergraduate students. Students represent over 28% of all AERA members.

AERA offers a rich array of programs and services for students through its divisions, special interest groups, and the Graduate Student Council, a standing committee of the Association. Students interested in exploring opportunities in professional development, mentoring, and networking are strongly encouraged to puruse websites of divisions, special interest groups, and the Graduate Student Council for details.

Join the AERA Graduate Student Listserv! Keep up to date on happenings and conversations with AERA graduate students around the country.

Message from the GSC Chair

Keisha Siriboe, GSC Chair

Greetings Fellow Graduate Students,

It is my esteemed pleasure to welcome you to the AERA Graduate Student Council (GSC). I am deeply humbled to serve as the 2017-2018 Chair of the AERA GSC. Our focus for GSC this year is to create realistic, achievable, and impactful programming. We began in June with the webinar around AERA Proposal Submissions, and through our social media platforms we are working to create a sense of community where we not only share content, but we also encourage you to share your perspectives and experiences. The journey from graduate student to scholar is full of twists and turns. We hope that the GSC can serve as a place of encouragement and motivation as well as a conduit for networking and career advancement.

The importance of educational research in our ever-changing world is vital. As the next generation of educational researchers, we are challenged with guiding others through education systems that are dramatically different from what AERA encountered a century ago. Such navigation should not be faced alone. Within the GSC divisions, you will find a generous offering of various programs geared towards your professional development. I encourage you to utilize the various resources the council offers, but please don't stop there. Consider contributing your talents, and skills within the GSC as well.

The 2018 AERA Annual Meeting calls us to confront the struggles for public education, considering the times in which we are living, the historical arcs that shape our present(s), and the roles we can play in the fight for justice. Public education has the potential to be a central pillar of democracy and to foster civil deliberation. It is essential to democratic government, which both depends on and makes possible respect for diversity, justice, and human dignity. It has a crucial role to play in our divided world, bringing communities together to build an inclusive formation of “we the people.”